Written by Hamza KhanWith the news of Mukhtaran Mai’s rapists being acquitted, Pakistan’s burgeoning news media have come down hard on the outrageous Supreme Court decision in what can only be described as the fulfillment of their role as the fourth estate in Pakistan’s political system. Every major news station and periodical dedicated their prime-time show and editorial section last weekend to openly flay the Pakistani justice system, and particularly the Supreme Court, for tossing out the co … [Read more...]

In early April, Mukhtar Mai, the Pakistani survivor of a tribal-ordered gang rape who prosecuted her rapists rather than accepting a tradition of suicide after rape, married her bodyguard, Nasir Abbas Gabol.Scathing condemnations of the marriage came from Pakistani writers, women’s groups, and news outlets. While the circumstances under which she married are troubling, the way that Pakistani media has discussed the Mai and her marriage is equally troubling.According to AFP, these are the f … [Read more...]